I'm doing a book signing at the Nevins Library on Tuesday, June 11 at the Garden Room at 7:00 PM. I hope we get a good crowd. I'll speak for about 10 or 15 minutes and maybe we'll sign a bunch of books! Contact Megan Carney @ 978-686-4080 Ext. 20.

We're smack in the middle of corporate outing season. If you'd like to schedule one, anywhere in the USA, shoot us an email (Mario@JoyofBocce.com).

I'll be doing a Bocce signing at the Nevins Library, Tuesday June 11, 2013 at 7:00 PM. I'll speak, a little, then sign some books! I hope we draw a pretty good crowd! We'll be in the Garden Room. Hope you will attend!

We spoke briefly Thursday morning at the Seniors bocce tournament about a planned bocce fund raising tournament to support the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

My name is Jim Tsouprakakis and I help organize bocce for the Sons of Italy. The Methuen Sons of Italy has graciously donated their new 3 million dollar facility for the weekend tournament on July 19th, 20th & 21st.

Our goal is to have at least 50 plus teams participating from the bocce community across the country and many other fund raising activities throughout the weekend.

We would love to have Mayor Menino participate as the the guest of honor for this worthy cause.

Please forward this memo to your Commissioner or the appropriate person to get on the Mayor's calendar.

We hope that these will satisfy the player demand for a lower cost product that is heavy and won't fly off the court when struck. Not too heavy like a solid ball bearing that moves sluggishly when hit.

Open Bocce Championships of Northern California
9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 17th, 2013, to be held at the Martinez Bocce Facility in the Waterfront park in Martinez.

This is a double elimination tournament for "B" and "C" division-ranked teams.

A team consists of four players, or four players and one alternate. The cost is 20.00 per player. (This includes entry into the tournament, a continental type breakfast, lunch, and a complimentary participation gift).

The top four teams will receive awards.

Lunch tickets will be available for non-players at a cost of 7.00 for adults, and 5.00 for children under the age of 12.

Individual Shooting and Lagging Jackpot competition will start at 10:00 a.m. it will remain open until after the lunch break, the cost will be 5.00, per entry, with the winners recieving cash awards.

All proceeds from this event will donate the Martinez Chapter of the Sea Scouts.

Please include payment, and mail to:

2239 Orange St. Martinez, CA 94553 no later than thursday, August 15th.

Well, I've finally launched a Facebook Page. Yes - we are now on Facebook! I have posted some items that you can link to - photos of some really neat courts. I hope you will send us a post or two. In a couple of weeks I hope to start a Blog that will generate more action on the Bocce Circuit!

We should all be card carrying members. Every club should be affiliated. For the sport to gain the attention it needs we need to boast of many thousands of members. Download a USBF Membership Application here:

I’ve seen all kinds of home-made court maintenance brushes and scrapers. Two things have always struck me about them. 1 – they look like they are home-made and 2 – they tend to be HEAVY.

7' Drag Brush

Manufactured by Lee Tennis (makers of the Har-Tru surface material), this court maintenance tool created for tennis courts works exceptionally well for bocce courts. The 7-foot drag brush is light-weight and, even if you have a 13- or 14-foot wide court, you can smooth it over with just two passes. This is quick enough to do between games without keeping players waiting very long.

Bristles are 4 ˝ inches of synthetic fibers and the strong but light-weight frame is aluminum. Retails for $189.95 plus shipping.

Lute/scarifier

This strangely named 30” wide device is actually two implements in one. It is an all-aluminum combination tool for scarifying, leveling, and removing loose court material.

Strong and sturdy, the tool is light enough to handle with ease and is excellent for spreading new material during top-dressing. The concave shape of the 30” wide blade allows the tool to “float” along the surface without digging in. Use the serrated edge to scrape material from high spots, then flip the tool over to rake and smooth that spot and drag the loose material to fill in a lower point. Retails for $69.95 plus shipping.

Besides a heavy roller, the lute/scarifier and 7-foot drag brush should be all the maintenance tools a bocce court owner needs.

Please - anyone running a tournament - do me a favor - put a notice near your tourney bracket board informing players that they can go to http://www.joyofbocce.com and "opt in" for my FREE Ezine on bocce. Click the logo to the right to opt in if you do not already receive this ezine every Monday.

Please consider designating someone as "official event photographer" and directing that person to send snapshots for us to reproduce as photos of the week. Our readers love seeing bocce action from around the continent.

Check out the first-rate equipment we offer. The finest measuring devices for bocce (made in UK by Prohawk for lawn bowling, petanque, and bocce) - the finest bocce balls in the world (made in Italy by Perfetta) and the number one selling instructional book on bocce in America - Check them out.Check out the merchandise